Dance By The Light of The Jellicle Moon
by N.S.Bennett
Summary: Munkustrap and Demeter have two young kittens - Victoria and Eclipse. When Eclipse starts to reach maturity, her saviour may not necessarily be the one that saved her. MunkustrapXDemeter, VictoriaXMisto, PouncivalXOC, CoricopatXOC
1. The Naming of Cats

"Victoria!" Munkustrap called and the tiny white kitten came bundling towards him. "Steady child." He said not unkindly, stopping her from falling off the wall. "Come and meet your little sister."  
"Sister?" She echoed and he smiled sweetly at her before leading her home. "Mama!" Victoria mewed, running to Demeter's side. Demeter smiled at her before allowing her daughter to see the new-born kitten. "She's so pretty Mama."

Victoria was right. The kitten was pretty with pure black fur. The white kitten was extremely excited to be a big sister and wanted to play with her sister straight away but knew that she'd have to wait until it was a little bigger. "What's it called?"  
"It's called Eclipse."


	2. Tugger's Niece is a Curious Cat

There was no denying that Eclipse was a happy kitten. She was always playing with her sister and her sister's friends. But she always seemed to get into trouble. Wherever she went, trouble seemed to follow. Maybe it was just a kitten's curiosity or her Uncle Tugger's genes but Eclipse drove her parents crazy with worry whenever she disappeared just out of sight. It didn't help that most of her friends were the young tomcats who encouraged every single dangerous and potentially life-threatening feat that Eclipse performed. On more than one occasion Munkustrap had taken her aside and told her to be careful and on more than one occasion, Tugger had come along and told her that Munkustrap didn't know how to have fun. Either way, it increased Demeter's dislike of Tugger even more each time.

One day, Eclipse was lounging around in the sun, rolling every so often to stop the heat getting too much. Alonzo, Pouncival and Tumblebrutus appeared.  
"Hey, Lissy, are you coming to the river?" Tumblebrutus asked.  
"But the river's out of bounds!" Eclipse cried, sitting up, "We're not allowed. Papa said."  
"Ooh, Papa said, did he?" Pouncival teased. "Well, I guess since you're such a perfect young queen, you don't have to join in our games anymore."  
"I am not a little queen!" Eclipse mewled indignantly, "I can do everything you tomkits can do and I can do it better than you!"  
"So you are coming to the river then?" Alonzo grinned.  
"What are we waiting for?" Eclipse said, stretching as she stood up, "Let's go."

Getting out of the junkyard without the adults seeing is a complicated business but the four young kittens had figured it out. Starting at Jellylorum and Gus' pipe, you climb up to Misto's den roof before leaping silently to the tyres before scrambling over to the car boot before jumping up to the wall and jumping down the back.

Once all of them were on the other side, they ran away, mewling and purring, jumping on each other and play fighting. They reached the river with time to spare and sat on the grassy bank, staring at the water for a few moments. Pouncival was the first to break, running down to the edge and then shrieking in surprise as the cold water touched his paws and he ran back and hid half-behind Eclipse. The other kittens laughed but Eclipse didn't laugh as much as the other two as she felt bad for Pouncival after he had gone first. While Alonzo and Tumblebrutus laughed, Eclipse slipped away and ran down to the edge.  
"Eclipse, wait!" Pouncival called out but the kitten didn't hear him, running full on into the water. She ran back out again, laughing before climbing up the tree that was by the water.  
"Eclipse, get down!" Tumblebrutus said, running to the trunk with Pouncival and Alonzo.  
"Eclipse, stop!" Alonzo called, preparing to climb up to her. Eclipse ignored them, continuing along a branch that stretched out over the river.  
"I'll show them that queens can do everything tomcats do." She said. As she was muttering to herself, she didn't watch where she was walking and she misplaced her paw, slipping off the branch and falling with a mewl into the water.  
"ECLIPSE!" The boys cried, running to the edge. She popped up at the surface, clawing desperately at the water, trying to get back to dry land.  
"Go and get the adults." Alonzo commanded Pouncival, who scampered away as fast as his little paws would carry him.

Everyone was surprised by Pouncival's hurried arrival and looked at him curiously as he mewled loudly to get their attention.  
"What is it Pouncival?" Jellylorum asked, licking her son's head.  
"It's Eclipse." Pouncival said in a panicked voice. "She fell in the river."  
Munkustrap looked at him in terror before following the kitten back over the wall, Tugger and Mungojerrie right behind them.

"Eclipse!" Munkustrap cried as he reached the river. The kitten had managed to scramble onto a log and was mewling terribly. "Stay there! Don't move." He turned and looked at their surroundings. "There must be some way to save her." He said desperately, looking at his brother. Tugger looked at him before they both jumped at the sound of a splash. They looked and saw Mungojerrie swimming out to Eclipse. He grabbed the kitten by the scruff of her neck and swam back to the shore. Once he received his daughter, Munkustrap licked her head and Tugger nudged her side while Eclipse mewed pitifully. "Thank you so much Mungojerrie."  
"It's nuffin." Mungojerrie shrugged. "I gotta go – I'm meetin' Teazer. See ya." With that he was gone and Munkustrap looked at his daughter.  
"Eclipse, what did I tell you about the river?" He said.  
"I'm sorry Papa."  
"I've never been more disappointed in you."  
"Papa, I'm sorry."  
"Enough Eclipse." Munkustrap said before walking back to the junkyard, Alonzo and Tumblebrutus with him. Pouncival helped Eclipse up and they walked alongside Tugger.  
"I'm sorry for getting into trouble with your Dad."  
"Don't worry. I'm glad you went."  
"Really? You don't think I was being a coward?"  
"I think you were really brave." Eclipse whispered and Tugger grinned to himself.


	3. A Kitten's First Love

Eclipse hadn't been seen for several weeks. Normally when she and her father argued, she went silent for a day and then Munkustrap would bring her a mouse and she would know she was forgiven. But this time she'd run away from the junkyard altogether. If that didn't worry Munkustrap and Demeter, as well as the other adult cats, enough – Pouncival wasn't eating. Every Jellicle knew how much Pouncival loved his food, so for him to be eating meant something was deeply wrong. But whenever anyone tried to ask him about it, the tomkit would shake his head and run away.

Pouncival had just run away from another set of Jenny's questions and wanted nothing to do with anyone. But Victoria didn't care about that and followed him.  
"Go away Victoria." Pouncival said over his shoulder as he walked away.  
"I was just curious as to whether you wanted to talk to a cat your own age rather than an adult." Victoria said and Pouncival stopped.  
"I want to talk to Eclipse and she's been missing for six weeks."  
"She isn't missing." Victoria said, giving him a secretive smile. "I know where she is, I'll show you."

"Uncle Tugger!" Victoria called out, Pouncival shadowing her. Tugger appeared and grinned before inviting the two kittens into his den. Victoria squealed happily as she ran to greet the queen kitten that Tugger was housing. Pouncival shifted awkwardly from paw to paw.  
"Pouncival!" A voice he was sure he would never hear again cried. He looked up to see Eclipse standing there. She ran over and jumped on him, knocking both of them to the ground. "I'm so sorry!" She said, looking down at him, but she made no move to get off him.  
"Don't worry about it." He smiled and she sprang off him and held out a paw. Pouncival took it and she tugged him to his feet before hugging him tightly. "I missed you."  
"I heard. Why haven't you been eating?" Eclipse asked, shaking him. Pouncival looked at the tiny queen kitten, surprised at her strength.  
"Lissy, you're hurting me." Pouncival whined when she started to dig her claws in.  
"Sorry." She said pulling her paws away. "Don't starve yourself for me." She said fiercely, looking him in the eyes, her grey-green ones boring into his chocolate ones. "You'll find some pretty queen kitten who'll be worth it. Jemima, for example. She likes you."  
"She's meant to dance with Tumblebrutus during the Mating Dance at the next Jellicle Ball." Pouncival said, shrugging off the mention of his crush from when he was a much younger kitten. "Anyway, I don't want a pretty queen. I want you. You're my best friend."  
"Just because we're best friends, it doesn't mean we should be together." Eclipse said, gently brushing past him as she walked out of Tugger's den – both the kittens aware of the electric current that passed between them.

"Eclipse! Eclipse, wait!" Pouncival said as they reached the clearing. Everyone looked up at the appearance of the kittens.  
"Pouncival, please." Eclipse said, turning to look at him. "You're not helping me by sticking around. I'm not the cat that's worth your time."  
"You're worth everything." Pouncival said, walking up to her. "Do you remember when Mungojerrie rescued you from the river and I asked you if you thought I was a coward for going and getting the adults?"  
"I said I thought you were really brave." Eclipse barely whispered.  
"Exactly." Pouncival said, a fire igniting in him as she said those words and he took her face in his paws and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.


	4. Dancing Queens

The Jellicle Ball was near. All the kittens had being drilled in the group dances but the afternoon before the Ball, final rehearsal had been brought to a halt as everyone watched Victoria and Eclipse dance. The sisters hadn't noticed and had carried on with the routine, only realising they were being watched when they finished.  
"That was amazing!" Etcetera cried out as they looked at their friends. She clapped her paws together.  
"How did you learn to dance like that?" Mistoffelees asked as he ran up to them.  
"We didn't." The sisters answered at the same time.  
"They have the gift." Old Deuteronomy said from the tyre where he was watching the scene with interest. "All Jellicles can dance, but every so often there are those rare kittens that are particularly gifted in it." He turned to Munkustrap and Demeter. "You should be proud of your young queens, you two."

Eclipse smiled as the other young adult kittens crowded around them, praising her and Victoria.  
"Eclipse." Coricopat said and she turned to look at him. He and Tantomile were two, a year older than the other kittens and a year and a half older than Eclipse. She smiled at him. "I just wanted to say-,"  
"That was so cool Eclipse!" Pouncival said, bounding into the black kitten, interrupting whatever Coricopat was about to say. "Could you teach me how to dance like that?" He asked pulling her away by the arm. Eclipse nodded and reluctantly went with him.

"It's OK Cori." Tantomile said as she followed her twin brother into their den.  
"It's not OK!" Coricopat said, turning to face her. "I never get a chance to talk to Eclipse because that stupid Pouncival is always there."  
"Maybe you could lay beside her in the Mating Dance?"  
"No, Pouncival and the other young Toms won't let me within fifty metres of her." Coricopat said. "I'm beginning to wonder whether I should go to the Ball tonight at all."  
"No, please come Cori. We'll dance together and we can leave before the Mating Dance." Tantomile said, rushing to her twin's side. "You don't have to be there for that."  
"You'd miss the chance of getting a mate?"  
"I've got plenty of time to find a mate. Come to the Ball Cori. You may be surprised."


	5. A Dance of Heartbreak

Coricopat was enjoying the ball slightly. He had played his parts well in the dances but mostly sat to the side, watching Eclipse as she danced. She was smiling giddily, enjoying the attention and throwing herself into the dances. She had shared a few dances with several of the young Toms – dancing with Alonzo, Tumblebrutus, her sister's mate Mistoffelees and once with Plato. During his song, she had been her Uncle Tugger's main partner and danced and sang well with her father in the Rumpus Cat song. Her performance earned her a nuzzle from Old Deuteronomy and Coricopat was filled with pride for Eclipse. Then began the Jellicle Ball in true fashion.

As Jemima and Tumblebrutus began the Mating Dance, Coricopat stayed where he was. Even though he knew that Tantomile said they would leave, he had to be sure. As the other cats crawled in, he saw, at the same time Eclipse did, that Pouncival was pulling Electra to him. Eclipse let out a small heartbroken mewl before jumping onto the car boot and over the wall. Coricopat looked around for his sister, who was whispering side-by-side with Skimbleshanks. He stood and crept over the car boot and over the wall.

It was dark away from the brightly-lit junkyard and Coricopat knew he didn't have a hope in hell of finding the midnight black kitten. As he walked through the shadows he tripped over something, landing on the grass with an 'ooph'.  
"Are you alright?" A quiet voice asked and he looked up to see a pair of grey-green eyes looking back at him.  
"Eclipse?"  
"Coricopat? What are you doing outside the junkyard?"  
"I was looking for you. I saw what Pouncival did."  
At his words, the kitten burst into tears again. Coricopat sat opposite her, unsure of what to do. After a short while, Eclipse crawled onto his lap and he cradled her as she cried. "It was horrible. He'd promised me as well and he kissed me and then he went off with Electra and it didn't look like the first time either!"  
"I know. It's horrible when you like someone and they can't see you." Coricopat said, trying not to cry, knowing that he was subtly baring his soul to Eclipse. They sat in silence for a long time, her tears having stopped, but both enjoying the other's company.  
"I see you." She whispered eventually.


	6. The Confrontation

"Morning Cori." Eclipse said brightly the next morning as she appeared by the twins. "Morning Tant."  
"Morning Eclipse." They replied, smiling. She sat down with them and placed a couple of rats in front of them.  
"I thought you might like something for breakfast." Eclipse said, smiling with pride at her catch. They smiled gratefully at her before taking the rats and eating them.  
"What about you?" Coricopat asked and she smiled at him.  
"I did catch three, but I got hungry on my way here." She answered with a playful grin. Coricopat returned her smile before the pair of them looked in different directions. "What do you want to do today?"  
"Are you asking us to play with you?" Tantomile asked disbelievingly.  
"We could play." Eclipse said happily. "What do you want to play?"  
"We don't know any games." Coricopat said sadly. "None of the other kittens ever wanted to play with us."  
"Because you're mystics?" Eclipse asked, cocking her head to one side and crumpling her forehead. "Why should that make a difference?"

Everyone was surprised at the playful squealing and delighted yelps that came from the trio as they fell into the central clearing. Tantomile rolled off of Eclipse who pulled Coricopat to the floor, rolling over him. Tantomile sat back and watched in amusement as the pair wrestled, equally matched, neither one yielding. Eventually, Eclipse gave up and remained still while Coricopat rolled off her and laid beside her, both of them laughing. Coricopat stood up and held out his paw. Eclipse took it and he tugged her to her feet.  
"Eclipse, what are you doing?" Pouncival asked and the queen kitten stood still.  
"Why are you playing with the freaks?" Etcetera asked.  
"They're not freaks; they've never been freaks, never!" Eclipse spat, spinning so fast even Mistoffelees got whiplash. "You all believed the rumours and spiteful stories that you shunned them and didn't let them play."  
"Eclipse, we're sorry." Victoria said gently and Eclipse nodded, bowing her head submissively to her older sister.  
"Where were you last night?" Pouncival asked. "I looked for you during the Mating Dance but I couldn't find you."  
"Maybe because you were too busy grooming Electra's arse." Eclipse replied coldly and the other young Toms exchanged a look. The adult cats that had been watching shuffled slightly closer.  
"I wasn't!" Pouncival insisted unconvincingly, his eyes flicking away before returning to Eclipse's face.  
"LIAR!" She shouted, grabbing his head fur and throwing him to the floor. She pounced on him and pinned him down. "You knew I was there and you knew I was watching you. You knew and yet you still did it!" Eclipse sprang off him and kicked Pouncival away. The young Tom rolled to his feet and looked at the queen kitten.  
"Sheesh, I don't know why you're being so touchy. It's not like it matters."  
"Not like it matters? NOT LIKE IT MATTERS!" Eclipse said, springing at him, smacking him across the face. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear you apart where you stand." She said through gritted teeth.  
"Why are you being so stroppy? Because I mated with someone else?" Pouncival said, cocking his head to one side. "Can't handle a little competition, Eclipse? Poor little Eclipse, so insecure about herself that she can't even stand someone else touching her love because she was there first. You're pathetic."  
There was a low growling sound and Pouncival was surprised to himself pinned up against the oven by Coricopat. "Listen here you stupid ball of fluff. Eclipse cared greatly for you and you blew hot and cold over her. In my opinion, you're not mature enough to even consider mating let alone mating with Eclipse. However, it's her choice but if you hurt her again, you'll answer directly to me – is that clear?" The male mystic hissed and the kitten nodded, terrified. Coricopat released him and Pouncival waited for Eclipse to defend him.  
"Are you alright?" He heard Eclipse ask softly and turned to give her a grin but found she was gently clutching Coricopat's arm and was looking up at him with worried eyes.  
"I'm fine." He said, giving her a soft smile and she brushed her head against his shoulder before walking away.

"Eclipse!" Victoria called, looking around.  
"Up here." The younger kitten answered and Victoria looked up and found her on a cupboard at the top of a junk pile. She climbed up to her and settled next to her sister.  
"What's going on?" Victoria asked. "You and Pouncival used to be so close, what's changed?"  
"He took my first kiss, he took my trust." Eclipse said, looking out at the sunset. "I had planned to mate with him last night, but when it came to the Mating Dance, he pulled Electra towards him. I saw everything."  
"I'm so sorry." Victoria said, reaching out and taking her sister's paw. "Sometimes it takes us having our hearts broken to figure out who we really love."  
"You're lucky. You've got Misty."  
"And you've got Corico." Victoria said and Eclipse looked at her sister. "Don't deny it. The way you look at him is completely different to the way you looked at Pouncival. It runs deeper."  
"With Cori, I know that I'll be looked after. With Pouncival, it was just fun and games. We were just messing about. He was to me what Tugger is to Etcetera." Victoria snorted elegantly at the comparison and Eclipse laughed. "Whenever I'm away from Cori, I want to know what he's up to, whether he's keeping safe."  
"Well, let's go back." Victoria said and the kittens climbed down. "You know, Mother and Father are curious about what's going on."  
"Don't tell them anything, Tori, please." Eclipse begged.  
"Of course not Ellie. Who else can you confide in but your sister?" Victoria said and Eclipse smiled as she wrapped her arms around her as they walked back.


End file.
